Oldham to sign off 2,000-home development plan
The council’s cabinet will meet next week to rubber stamp a 15-year framework for the residential-led regeneration of the town centre, while proposals for the first 295 homes are worked up.
Working with Muse, Oldham Council has drafted a plan to deliver 2,000 homes across a clutch of town centre brownfield sites.
The first site to come forward will be Princes Gate, located next to Oldham Mumps Metrolink stop.
Here, Muse plans to deliver just shy of 300 flats across three blocks. A planning application for the scheme is due early next year with a start on site planned in Q4 2025.
The site was previously earmarked for a Lidl supermarket and a hotel but the agreement was terminated in early 2023.
The authority consulted on its town centre regeneration plans in the summer.
The framework sets out plans for homes providing a range of types and tenures.
Following the consultation, the development framework will go before cabinet for adoption. Once adopted, it will be used by Oldham Council’s planning committee when considering planning applications brought forward in the five character areas set out in the framework.
These are:
- The Civic and Residential Quarter
- The Retail Core
- The Cultural & Creative Quarter
- Eastern Edge and Oldham Mumps, and Western Edge and Educational Quarter
Cllr Arooj Shah, Leader of Oldham Council, said: “Oldham Council and Muse have a shared vision to transform Oldham Town Centre with fantastic new homes, businesses and opportunities for Oldhamers. A place we can all be proud of.
“Our partnership with Muse is game-changing for Oldham and this next step will mark a huge milestone in our town’s future. I’m especially pleased that we have the opportunity to breathe new life into Prince’s Gate with much-needed, affordable new homes in a great location at the heart of a transformed town centre.
“We’re maximising every chance to make Oldham a fantastic place to live and visit—and we’re bringing the community with us every step of the way.”
Emma Payne, project manager at Muse added: “We are delighted that the development framework is set to be approved by Oldham Council’s cabinet. We enjoyed meeting with Oldhamers during this summer’s community conversation and sharing our vision for a town centre with character, thousands of new homes, and an emphasis on sustainability, community and quality.
“The feedback we received throughout the summer has been fundamental in helping us shape our final plans and we’re looking forward to working with Oldham Council to deliver positive change for the people of Oldham.”
The project team advising on the 2,000-home masterplan comprises Hawkins Brown, Planit, Donald Insall Associates, Turley, Social Value Portal, CBRE, Arcadis, Max Fordham, WSP, and Civic Engineers.
Well, with the current fiascos surrounding Oldham Council – the Chief Executive affair, preparing to waste £8.5 million on a single town centre building when the whole town centre isn’t worth that, now the proposed withdrawal from PfE – I would say the only response to this news can be “Who cares?”. Only a madman would invest substantial money in Oldham town centre, only a desperate person with little other option would want to live there.
By A. R.
This seems good but is rather undermined by the unwise attempt to leave PfE
By Anonymous
Just need to find land for the other 13700+ homes they’ll have to deliver over 15 years if their opposition parties succeed in extracting them from Places for Everyone.
By Anonymous
No doubt the “Masterplan” above will be used in the not too distant future as the basis for a compulsory purchase and clearance order – that’s the ever repeating story of Oldham town centre!
By Anonymous